Carrie Elzie, PhD, MA

Career Highlights:

• Professor of Foundational Sciences and Director of Faculty Development, Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine

• Lecturer, Baylor University

• Professor of Cell Systems & Anatomy, Deputy Chair for Education, and Director of Pre-Professional Graduate Program, University of Texas Health at San Antonio

• Adjunct Associate Professor, Pfeiffer University

• Associate Professor of Pathology & Anatomy and Program Director of MS in Human Anatomy, Eastern Virginia Medical School

• Assistant Professor of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center

• Assistant Professor of Cell, Integrative, and Development Biology, and Director of Gross Anatomy, Anatomical Donor Program, and Basic Science Education, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Education:

• MA in Organizational Leadership: George Washington University

• Postdoctoral Medical Education Fellowship: Vanderbilt University

• PhD in Pathology: University of Alabama at Birmingham

• BS in Biology: Lenoir-Rhyne College

Honors & Awards:

• Star Educator Award, University of Texas Health San Antonio (2023)

• Outstanding Reviewer Award (Nominee), Medical Science Educator (2022-2024)

• Crystal Apple Teaching Award, Physician Assistant Program, Eastern Virginia Medical School (2022)

• Best Oral Presentation, International Conference on Medical Education (2021)

• Faculty Award for Educational Scholar, Eastern Virginia Medical School (2020)

• Innovations in Medical Education Award, Southern Group of Educational Affairs (2020)

• Master Educator, Fine Family Academy, Eastern Virginia Medical School (2019)

• Patil Teaching Innovation Award, Association of Medical Science Educators (2019)

• Outstanding Oral Presentation, International Association of Medical Science Educators (2019)

• Crystal Apple Teaching Award, Masters in Anatomy Students, Eastern Virginia Medical School (2019, 2017)

• Outstanding Faculty Award, University of Nebraska Medical Center (2015)

• Golden Apple Award, University of Nebraska Medical Center (2014)

• Best Lecturer Award, Musculoskeletal Module, University of Alabama at Birmingham (2012, 2010)

• Dale J. Benos Award for Excellence in Pre-Clinical Medical Education, University of Alabama at Birmingham (2011)

• Best Lecturer Award, Reproductive Model, University of Alabama at Birmingham (2011)

• Best Basic Science Instructor, University of Alabama at Birmingham (2010)

Boards, Advisory Committees, and Professional Memberships:

• Accreditation Team Secretary, Liaison Committee on Medical Education (2025-present)

• Accreditation Survey Team, Liaison Committee on Medical Education (2018-present)

• LCME Mock Consultant, University of Nevada School of Medicine (2025)

• Step I-II Question Writer, National Board of Medical Examiners (2022-present)

• Educational Content Reviewer, Scholar Rx/MedIQ Learning LCC (2021-2022)

• Educational Leader, National Board of Examiners in Optometry (2017)

• Curriculum Consultant, UT Health Science Center (2010)

Research Focus and Interests:

• The intersection of educational scholarship and applied humanism, specifically exploring how active learning strategies can mitigate the decline of empathy during medical training

• Specializes in the development and assessment of "serious games" — ranging from virtual escape rooms to board games — which utilize gamification to enhance learner engagement and long-term knowledge retention

• Leveraging narrative medicine and virtual reality (VR) to foster perspective-taking, allowing students to "embody" patient experiences to improve cultural humility and clinical compassion

• Currently expanding these initiatives through the use of AI sentiment analysis and the creation of a global repository for anatomical donor stories to further humanize the foundational sciences and strengthen the professional identity of future clinicians